A client once told me he felt deeply in a rut. As we talked, something important surfaced: he hadn’t left Massachusetts in years.
His days had become familiar. His surroundings had become familiar. His thoughts had become familiar too. That kind of sameness can be subtle at first, but over time, it can start to make the world feel smaller.
So I encouraged him to get on a train and go somewhere. Anywhere. Not necessarily far. Not somewhere that required a passport, a packed itinerary, or a reason anyone else would understand.
Even three miles would count.
The point wasn’t the destination. The point was movement. It was about interrupting the pattern and giving his brain, body, and spirit something new to respond to.
When we feel caught in the same loop, we often assume the answer has to be big: a new job, a new city, a new relationship, a new business, a new life. Sometimes significant change is needed. But often, the first step is much smaller.
Change your scenery.
Take the train to a nearby town. Work from a different café. Visit a neighborhood you rarely spend time in. Sit by the water. Go to a museum. Browse a shop you have passed a dozen times but never entered. Take a different route home.
Make zero specific plans. As my friend Chuck says, "Go get lost, and see what happens."
You don’t need anyone to go with you. Sometimes going on your own is part of the shift.
Small changes in environment can interrupt old thought patterns. They remind us that there is more available than the loop we have been living inside. They give us a chance to notice something different, engage with a new setting, and experience ourselves in a slightly different context.
The key is to be open.
Open to what draws your attention. Open to a small conversation. Open to beauty, a different pace, an unexpected idea, or a moment of ease. Clarity does not always arrive because we force it. Sometimes it arrives because we create enough movement and spaciousness for something new to emerge.
A change in scenery will not solve everything. But it can create an opening. It can help you remember that the world is bigger than your current routine, question, or frustration.
Try This
If your world has started to feel too small, ask yourself:
- Where could I go today or this week that would give me a different setting?
- What kind of place tends to bring me back to myself?
- What would it look like to be more open while I’m there?
Then make it simple. Go somewhere nearby. Let it count even if it is only a few miles.
You do not need a perfect plan, a major trip, or a dramatic breakthrough. Sometimes the first shift is simply changing your scenery.
Want a More Intentional Reset?
If something in your work, life, leadership, or next chapter needs more space and attention, I invite you to join me for my Past, Present, Future Retreat.
This small-group retreat is designed to help you pause, reflect on where you have been, notice what matters now, and clarify meaningful next steps.
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